• MHSP Priority Area: Expanding and Diversifying the Maternal Health Workforce
• Recommendation: Begin work to develop health care apprenticeship opportunities that focus on training underrepresented populations to expand the number of BIPOC midwives, doulas, community health workers, and home visitors to make maternal health care professions and paid training opportunities accessible.
• Actionable Strategies: Create a Doula Apprenticeship Toolkit
• Lead: PatientsRWaiting
• Lead Web Site: https://www.patientsrwaiting.com/
• Progress: In Progress

Expanding and Diversifying the Healthcare Workforce Actionable Strategies 

• MHSP Priority Area: Supporting Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder Needs
• Recommendation: Develop a mechanism for universal postpartum depression screenings and faster mental health and SUD* referrals to support new mothers, which can also improve access to care and resources for women experiencing postpartum depression and improve integrated care programs and expanded mental health and SUD services.
• Actionable Strategies: Improving Education and Screening via an App or Website
• Lead: Materna Phi Health
• Lead Web Site: https://www.phiahealth.com
• Progress: In Progress

Behavioral Health and SUD Actionable Strategies Plan

Phia Health was awarded $150,000 to support a statewide initiative to deploy a behavioral health platform that supports pregnant and postpartum individuals across Pennsylvania. The platform provides evidence-based perinatal mental health screenings, continuous risk detection, and rapid escalation to licensed clinicians and care coordinators. Phia partners with OB practices, health systems, employers, and Medicaid MCOs to close critical care gaps and support families through the most vulnerable period of their lives. The initial phase of the initiative will focus on select urban and rural counties, with plans to go statewide. The Phia Health platform provides evidence-based perinatal mental health screenings with rapid escalation to licensed clinicians and care coordinators when needed. This approach proactively identifies behavioral health risks and ensures connection to treatment.

• MHSP Priority Area: Increasing Access to High-Quality Care
• Recommendation: Increase utilization of non-medical supportive services that can support greater cultural competency in perinatal care and improve health outcomes, like community health workers, peer services, and doulas by working with providers and payors to encourage greater partnership with and referrals to non-medical providers.
• Actionable Strategies: Improve Access to “Non-medical” supports
• Lead: Franklin Pediatrics
• Progress: In Progress

Access to High Quality Care Actionable Strategies Plan

Franklin Pediatrics, in Venango County, was awarded $150,000 to provide services to postpartum individuals at their child’s pediatrician visit. Venango county is a rural area where residents face challenges, along with many counties in northwest Pennsylvania, in accessing maternity care. Many postpartum individuals attend their infant’s pediatric visits, even when they do not have access to postpartum care. This uniquely positions a pediatrician’s office to fill gaps in postpartum care. With this funding Franklin Pediatrics will expand its services, including lactation supports, postpartum mental health and wellness circles, and social care navigation that includes screening and warm handoff to resources for food, housing, and Pennsylvania Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

• MHSP Priority Area: Increasing Access to High-Quality Care
• Recommendation: Increase utilization of non-medical supportive services that can support greater cultural competency in perinatal care and improve health outcomes, like community health workers, peer services, and doulas by working with providers and payors to encourage greater partnership with and referrals to non-medical providers.
• Actionable Strategies: Improve Access to “Non-medical” supports
• Lead: Fabric Health
• Lead Web Site: https://www.panavigate.org/fabric-health--pittsburgh-pa--fabric-health/6005698683011072?postal=15228
• Progress: In Progress

Access to High Quality Care Actionable Strategies Plan

Fabric Health was awarded $150,000 to address barriers to accessing and supporting prenatal and postpartum care. Fabric Health works with mothers and families at laundromats, turning a weekly chore into an opportunity to solve urgent needs. Their navigators provide pregnant and postpartum individuals with resources to address food insecurity, utility insecurity, access to transportation, and insurance coverage, among other pressing needs. The organization has a growing demand for their services, and this funding will help address this need with a focus on Allegheny and Philadelphia counties. Both counties experience disparities in maternal health and have increasing rates of severe maternal morbidities.